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Report
Minority Stress and the Health of Sexual Minorities
January 2013
This chapter provides an overview of the minority stress model and discusses the areas of health and wellness that are affected by minority stressors, including physical health, mental health, health behaviors, and well-being. It appeared in the Handbook of Psychology and Sexual Orientation in January 2013.
Highlights
Minority stress suggests that because of stigma, prejudice, and discrimination, LGB people experience more stress than heterosexual people do.
Minority stress causes serious injury in the form of psychological distress, mental health problems, suicide, and lower social well-being.
LGB people who experienced a prejudice-related stressful life event were three times more likely to have faced a serious physical health issue.